


ML Holidays: Be My Summer In a Winter Day, Love.

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, Internal Conflict, M/M, Miraculous Holiday 2k19, OT3, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Relationship(s), Pre-OT3, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:47:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21668464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: He was going to confess. It shouldn't have taken more than a minute to accomplish what he wanted to do that day.However, Luka finds himself with two people at the bakery that day, and he must figure out what he wants if he truly wants to be happy.Or the one where Luka falls in love two times at the same time.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 15
Kudos: 33





	1. Snowflakes

**Author's Note:**

> For: @wearemiraculous's holiday prompts.

* * *

If there was ever a time for celebration, Luka thought, it would be at that exact moment when the first snowflake touched his tongue and melted on the tip.

His mother didn’t like the snow much, ranting about how it restricted people’s liberty to roam the sea and preferred the summer sun and weather. Luka, however, preferred the cold winter months that made everyone huddle for warmth and brought them closer together.

“You’re not cold at all?” Juleka gasped in disbelief and Luka shook his head, “Wear a sweater at least, so you don’t get sick.”

“Today’s a good day to love, Jule. I’m going to go visit the bakery.”

“Cool. I already invited Rose over, so if you somehow manage to convince Marinette to come over, I’ll pop some popcorn and put on a movie.” Juleka waved him off, “I get to choose, though.”

“See you later.” Luka rolled his eyes with a smile and secured the helmet on his head, “I have an order to pick up.”

* * *

Biking in the cold weather proved to be a mistake and Luka realized it too late, when he had crashed into the trash cans near the bakery and caused a ruckus.

He dusted himself off and got back up on his feet, picking up as much trash as he could and placing them right back into the cans.

“Please don’t come out.” Luka pleaded silently as he finished and the door’s bell jingled, signaling someone was entering or leaving the bakery.

“L-Luk- wait, what’re you doing here?” Marinette’s mouth formed an ‘o’ and Luka felt his cheeks go warm as he tried to throw the banana peel he had in his hand into the trash can behind him.

“I uh, was passing by to pick up some apricot macarons, and I crashed my bike into the trash cans.” He admitted bashfully and Marinette’s face quickly shifted from shock to concern.

“Oh my gosh, are you alright?” Marinette quickly latched onto his arm and led him to the bakery, “I’ll come back for your bike after I fix you up.”

He really thought it would be a lot smoother, that he’d ask her out as soon as he finished ordering the macarons and invite her over for a movie at his mom’s boat.

“I-” He began to protest, but the look in Marinette’s eyes told him it was futile.

“I’m going to leave you here for a second with my parents, so I can see what the damage is to your bike. I’ll call Nino over so he can help me take a look at it and see if there's anything we can do.”

Luka didn’t say anything in return and Marinette led him inside the warm bakery, where her parents had just finished for the day. 

“Maman, Luka’s cold and he wanted to order something, but he got hurt.”

He was perfectly fine- “Ouch!”

A sharp pain jolted his body awake when Marinette touched his elbow. “I thought so. You weren’t going to fall off your bike and go unscathed.”

“I’m perfectly fine.” Luka shook his head in denial and her parents began to fawn over him.

“Poor boy.” Tom commented as he and Sabine made their way over to him and Marinette left him to go look at his bike. “You’re shaking like a cold cat doused in water.”

Great. This was his first time meeting her parents, and they’d remember him as the boy who crashed into the trash cans and was covered in stains with a bruised elbow.

“Marinette is always tripping over things, so we’re prepared for these kinds of things.” Sabine wrapped a spare blanket over him and Marinette came inside the bakery, cheeks flushed, alongside who he assumed was Nino.

Wait, that was Nino?

He felt very self-conscious and wrapped the blanket around his body tighter, hoping he wouldn’t see the mess he was.

“Hi, I’m Nino. Sucks what happened to your bike, but I called my buddy, Adrien, and he offered to take you home. He should be here in an hour.” Nino’s eyes met his and Luka felt himself shiver, but it wasn’t from the cold.

“Papa, is there any way we can make hot chocolate to warm our guests up?” Marinette took off her gloves and Luka and Nino followed her upstairs to her living room. “Sorry to bother you, Ninny. It was an emergency.”

“No problem, dudette. My family had just finished dinner, and I was free to do whatever I wanted.” Nino gave Luka a side-glance and Luka wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. “What were you even doing, dude?”

“I lost control of my bike because my hands got too cold. I forgot to bring a sweater that was appropriate for the weather, so this one’s pretty much useless, and Jules warned me. I was going to buy apricot macarons because they’re my favorite.” Luka pursed his lips and Nino frowned, his eyebrows knitting together.

“Sure, dude.” Nino shrugged, but the way Nino was eyeing him carefully made Luka think that things weren’t exactly “sure”.

“Make yourselves at home. I’ll be up in twenty minutes. You wanted apricot macarons, Luka?” Marinette asked before heading out the door and the way her eyes lit up when she looked at him...he was a goner.

He nodded and Marinette flashed him a brief smile, before leaving him alone with Nino.

“What’s the real reason you came over, dude?”

It really was a good day to love, Luka groaned internally. A good day to _love_ the embarrassment and grilling he was facing today.

* * *


	2. Hot Cocoa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino opens up to Luka while they wait for Marinette to make hot cocoa, and Luka sees an old face again.

* * *

Luka made his way to Marinette’s family’s couch and took a seat, with Nino right on his heels.

“I’ve seen you before. You just looked way different back then, than you do now.” Luka pointed out quietly, “You don’t slouch as much and you... have a very nice jawline.”

“You’re avoiding the question, but thanks, I guess.”

“I’m avoiding confrontation. I don’t like it and try my best not to get into it.” Luka replied swiftly, hoping it would be the end of the conversation, but Nino wasn’t having it.

“Look, I get it. She’s cute, but crashing your bike-”

“I didn’t crash it on purpose.” Luka snapped at him and clenched his fists, “I was eager to see her. The snow had just started falling today, and I wanted to share something special with her, invite her over to watch a movie with Jules, Rose, and me. I just came home for the holidays from tour to be with my family and friends.”

“Oh yeah? Don’t you have any other friends?” Nino snorted, “Can’t believe you crashed right into-”

“Yeah, I get it.” Luka sighed in frustration, and let the blanket fall back, and the cold settled in. “It was idiotic of me to rush out of my house without a good sweater that would protect me from the cold and gloves to keep my hands warm.”

“You wanted to see Mari that badly, huh?”

“I haven’t seen her in two-three months because I’ve been on tour with Jagged. We’ve been keeping in touch through Facetime and phone calls with very different time zones, but it’s worth it. I love hearing her voice and I usually fall asleep halfway through, but it was to her voice. And that’s the most pleasant melody in the world.” Luka’s lips spread into a small smile and Nino patted his shoulders.

“I know what that’s like.” Nino leaned back and in the dimly lit room with one candle on the coffee table, Nino’s face shone with nostalgia as he recounted his badly timed confession at the zoo when they were teens, before Nino knew of her crush on Adrien.

Luka felt a small twinge in his heart as he remembered how many years he spent hearing about Marinette’s grand love for Adrien, not only through helping Marinette try to get with him, but through his friends. He’d dated a few people throughout the years, but he always came back to Mari. No one else replayed in his head like she did.

“Wait, aren’t you dating...what’s her name again? That news reporter…” Luka snapped his fingers, trying to remember her name, “Alya, right?”

“We broke up when we finished  lycée . Things were kind of rough at first, because we were drifting apart and we were both angry with ourselves and each other. It was misdirected anger and once it all came to an end, for a while, things between us were tense when friends had parties or small get-togethers.” Nino shrugged and paused for a minute before continuing. 

“She moved on, and so did I, after a year. It’s been five years since we left  lycée , and here I am. Everything’s good now between us, though. I dated a couple of dudes and dudettes, but my life didn’t allow for anything serious when my career first took off. Alya, though? She’s dating Chloe, now.”

“The one whose mother announced she’d start a new fashion line based on her daughter, Chloe? Used to be rivals with Marinette in school, Chloe?” 

“Yeah, they’re both happy with each other, even with the occasional arguments over silly things. Chloe’s thinking of proposing soon, and she was worried about how I’d react, but I assured her it was chill.” Nino threw his head back and his whole body grew relaxed, “It’s so easy talking to you, dude. You’re a great listener, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told.” Luka scooted closer to Nino on the couch and Luka felt his heart flutter when Nino’s hand accidentally brushed his as he took off his beanie.

“Mari’s a great girl. I haven’t met you properly before, but I have heard your name among our friends when I was in  lycée. Adrien mentioned you a lot, and so did Mari . Wish I’d met you sooner.”

“Hey, guys!” Marinette burst through the door, balancing a box of macarons and three mugs in her arms, “Sorry it took so long. My parents needed a night off and I had to close up the bakery and make sure everything was in place after they left. These got kind of cold, but I hope that’s alright.”

Luka and Nino perked up on the couch to face Marinette and both scrambled to get off the couch to help her.

“It’s fine, guys. I got it! I promise I won’t drop them.” Marinette handed them their mugs and headed over to the couch. “Do you guys want to watch a movie while we wait for Adrien?”

“You pick.” Nino and Luka answered simultaneously and Marinette’s eyebrows shot up.

“If you guys are okay with it, we can watch-”

Nino’s phone rang and Nino held up a finger, “It’s Adrien. He’s waiting outside, and he said he’s ready when you’re ready.”

Luka glanced down at the warm mug in his hand and realized just how much marshmallows Marinette had stuffed inside of it. He knew his time was up and he didn’t accomplish what he originally wanted and came to the bakery for. 

And it wasn’t for the macarons.

Instead, he was bruised and stained and he felt his heart singing in two different keys. One was low and one was very high, and they were confusing him profusely as he avoided turning his gaze to them. Instead, he opted to chug back the hot cocoa before they could say anything and he choked on a marshmallow. 

“Luka!” Marinette jumped to his rescue and patted his back hard, making him spit out the soggy marshmallow back in his cup. “You shouldn’t have done that. If you were worried about having to drink it fast, you know you could just taken the mug home. My parents don’t mind, as long as you bring it back.”

“Ack.” Luka held onto her shoulder for support as he tried to breathe and his eyes flickered over to Nino, who burst out laughing on the phone and Luka glared at him, scrunching his nose.

“I can’t take you seriously, dude. You just choked on a piece of white fluff.” Nino howled and held his stomach, but dropped his phone.

“Karma.” Luka coughed and that sense of uneasiness he had originally felt with Nino disappeared as they both were trying to catch their breaths from laughing at each other. 

Marinette was standing over Luka with wide eyes, clearly confused, and Luka grinned widely up at her.

“I better get going. My mom has been keeping a close eye on me since I got home from tour. I really wanted to stop by and see how you’ve been and catch up. Maybe we can do it sometime over coffee.” Luka grabbed the blanket from the couch and wrapped it around him, “I’ll bring this back tomorrow, I pinky promise.”

He offered Marinette his hand, but she took him by surprise and wrapped him in an embrace he couldn’t escape from. She was squeezing the life out of him and he didn’t mind it one bit, as he inhaled her sweet, alluring fragrance and held her tightly by the waist.

“It’s nice seeing you again, Luka.” Marinette kissed his cheeks before letting go and patted his head on her tippy toes. “We’ll catch up over coffee soon. You can come over for brunch tomorrow morning. Nino’s coming over, too.”

Luka shoved his hands into his pockets after wrapping the surrounding blanket tighter and he knew his cheeks were the same color as the tips of the candlelight. He knew she was doing it to be polite, but her lips against his cheeks made him melt inside.

As he was leaving, he stopped momentarily to bid Nino a good night. “Thanks for the company tonight. Sorry I couldn’t stay for long, though. But I’m glad I gave you a good laugh, at least.”

“Thanks for listening and I’m glad, too, dude.” 

Luka didn’t expect anything more than a handshake, but when Nino pulled him in for a hug, too, Luka felt something rise in his stomach. Butterflies? Mushy marshmallows.

Luka had been with guys before, on tour and before tour. He’d been with many people, but none except for Marinette before that moment of contact with Nino, had been able to have a melody that captivated him from the start. 

Luka left Marinette’s flat in a hurry into the cold, snowy evening outside, where Adrien’s car was parked and Adrien himself stood outside, covered from head to toe in cloth designated to shield him from the cold.

* * *

As Nino and Marinette watched from the closed window, Marinette nudged Nino with her hip gently.

“What’s the deal with you and Luka, Nino? You were acting kind of odd today.” 

“Nothing, Nette. He’s a nice dude, and I was wary of him at first because I didn’t know him, but he’s alright.” Nino ruffled her hair and Marinette pushed him off gently, a laugh tumbling out of her mouth.

“I’m glad to hear that, Ninny. It’d have been a shame if you guys hadn’t gotten along. You two have more in common than you think and I think you two would be really great friends.”

If by having things in common, she meant that they both loved her, then she was right.

“Of course, Nette.” Nino sipped his hot cocoa and watched as Luka approached Adrien carefully, “We’ll leave that to time. Otherwise, he’s a really great guy.”

* * *

Luka missed those gorgeous, green, sparkly eyes that had helped him through his heartache. He hadn’t seen them in years and seeing them again, on top of meeting Nino and seeing Marinette again in person, warmed him up more than any cup of hot cocoa did.

Kagami waved at him from inside of the passenger seat and Luka spotted a ring on her finger. 

“Hello, Adrien.” Luka quivered and Adrien’s cheeks were rosy from the brisk air, “Long time no see.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me way longer than I originally thought and it was longer than originally planned fjdlsfk I am so sorry.


	3. Fireplace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small talks and Drunken talks with Nino & Marinette, and Adrien, Kagami & Luka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos appreciated <3

“Luka!” Adrien shouted through the blue scarf covering his mouth, “I’m so glad to see you!”

“It’s been, what, six or seven years now?” Luka chuckled and brushed the hair out of his own face, “It’s chilly. Thank you for doing this, even though I’m sure you had better things to do.”

“Don’t worry about it, Luka. Kagami and I are just glad to see you again.” Adrien shrugged and opened the door for him, “Hop in. We’ll take you home.”

Luka bowed his head before stepping inside and noticed Kagami’s eyes staring at him from the rear-view mirror.

“Your eyes read confusion and hesitation, like Marinette’s eyes long ago. Did something happen in the hour it took us to arrive?”

Luka hissed softly in the backseat and Nino’s and Marinette’s smiles flashed in front of him as he put his seatbelt on. “No.”

“I know I’m not much for one-on-one talks, but maybe you’d be more comfortable discussing this with Adrien.” 

“No, father. I will not go spend Christmas with you. I am going on a trip with Kagami in a week and won't be home for the holidays. Well, it’s not like you bothered to call me when I left for college. Don’t bring Gorilla into this. Talk to you when I bother to pick up.” Adrien shoved his phone in his pocket as he climbed into the driver’s seat and closed the door. 

“I’m sorry, love.” Kagami stroked his cheek gently with her thumb and Adrien leaned into her touch. “I know this time of year is hard for you.”

“I’m okay, especially with you by my side. My future wife.” Adrien kissed her fingertips, before they let go of each other so Adrien could drive.

“So, Luka….” Adrien whistled, “Have you been seeing anyone, or is there a reason you were at Marinette’s house?”

“Me? Pfft, nooo.” Luka waved him off and Adrien’s eyebrows wiggled in the rearview mirror.

“You know, you sound exactly like Marinette every time she had a crush on someone.”

“She’s a very-”

“Good friend.” Adrien and Kagami said in sing-song voices and Luka knew if he caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror, his cheeks would be crimson. He hid in the blanket's comfort that smelled vaguely of Mari and he sighed.

“It’s not like she’d consider me when she has Nino.” Luka pouted and closed his eyes, “Especially when she has Nino.”

“Do you have a crush on Nino?” Kagami turned around to meet his eyes directly and Luka rapidly avoided her gaze by turning to observe the view outside the car’s tinted windows.

“I just met the dude. He’s okay, but I wouldn’t consider dating him.”

“Not even a teensy bit? Was he snippy towards you? He didn’t get his daily dose of three cups of coffee today.” Adrien smirked and Luka groaned, remembering how painful the whole conversation at the beginning with Nino was.

“I’d rather forget it ‘cause he was grilling me about the whole bike incident. My only form of transportation is messed up, so I have to go get someone to look at that first thing tomorrow.”

“You can hang out at our place for a while.” Kagami offered with a tiny smile, “We can discuss how much of a friend Marinette really is.”

“You will never let that go, are you?”

“Nope.” Adrien’s eyes twinkled with mischief and Luka took in a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the rest of the night.

* * *

“You weren’t jealous of Luka, were you, Ninny?” Marinette propped her legs over Nino’s laps and stretched like a cat, extending her arms in the air and yawning very loudly.

Nino placed a hand over his face to try to cover his blush at how adorable she appeared, “I was totally not, dudette. I have nothing to be jealous of.”

“Are you positive? Because I could sense something was off.” Marinette poked his stomach and Nino recoiled slightly, “Oh! I forgot to tell you, but Chloe called and asked if you were sure about the question she asked you. She said that you know the one.”

Nino grimaced and blew air into his cheeks, “God, I already told her it was fine. Five times to be exact. I don’t know if she’s stalling, or she hasn’t been paying attention.”

“What’d she ask you?” Marinette leaned forward and stirred the marshmallows in her hot chocolate with her small spoon, “Als mentioned something the other day, but I didn’t quite catch it.”

“It’s about Chloe proposing to her. She’s afraid I still have feelings for Al, even though it’s been like, half a decade.” Nino replied as he popped in a stolen marshmallow from Marinette’s cup.

“Do... you?”

“Huh?”

She caught him completely off guard with the way she gazed up at him. Her eyes read something and he wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or not, but there was something _more_ that lay hidden behind her long lashes and bluebell irises.

“I don’t. What happened between us was great and all, but we’re different people now and I’ve already clarified that nothing is there to Chloe, but Chloe’s afraid I’ll take back my word or something and won’t talk to her.” Nino shut his eyes closed and listened to his own breathing to relax. “I’m in love with someone else, actually. Which is surprising, I know, because I’ve been busy with my job and wow, Nino’s in love!”

“No, I think it’s lovely.” Marinette patted his cheek gently and rested her head on his shoulder. “They’re a very lucky person, whoever they are.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

* * *

Sitting in front of the fireplace with Kagami and Adrien directly across from him was not the thing he’d had in mind in the early evening when he first headed out.

Being questioned by him on all the details of that night was something he had not imagined, either, but that’s how he was spending his evening.

“I swear I don’t like Nino.” Luka snorted as he took another sip of wine, “He’s very attractive, but he doesn’t like, sing the song in my heart.”

“What about Marinette?” Kagami tipped her glass towards him, and Adrien was caught somewhere between a laugh and a cough. “She’s had your attention and heart since you were sixteen.”

“That’s partially true.” Adrien raised his glass and Luka shook his head. “He was so hung up over her and I helped him move on for a bit. But after we lost touch, all I heard was he got a bunch of gigs with Jagged and from my connections, that you were meeting people weekly on tour.”

“She’s an-”

“Extraordinary girl. As clear as a music note. As sincere as a melody. Blah, blah, blah!” Kagami giggled and Luka frowned, remembering his confession to Marinette.

“Oh, gosh.” Luka held the sides of his head after placing down his glass, “I was so corny and cheesy. I still am, but I was so much more then. I don’t regret it one bit, though!”

The light flickering from the fireplace reminded him of himself. Luka had felt himself go back and forth between fighting his feelings that only seemed to deepen and having short flings with people to try to move on from Marinette for years. 

Marinette was stuck on a loop in his head, but now, it seemed there was a new track.

“Okay, so _maybe_ Nino is on my mind, too.”

“No way.”

“You’re not going home. We’ll drop you off tomorrow morning on the boat, but you _have to_ tell us now.” Adrien pleaded with a chortle and Luka agreed with a hiccup.

* * *


	4. Ornaments.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luka wakes up the next morning to a surprise.

_ Luka. _

He reached out for Marinette’s outstretched hands, and he grasped her fingertips. Was it a dream or reality?

_ Luka. _

She was calling out for him and he tilted his head to the side, her words not quite matching her lips.

“Luka! Nino and I came over to eat brunch with you guys. Adrien told us what happened, so we came here instead.” Marinette ruffled his hair, waking him up, and Luka tried his best to open his eyes and adjust to the light.

_ Oh gosh. _

Luka was in one of Adrien’s extra pajamas and his hair was surely a mess, as it was every morning before he combed it out into two thin braids.

“Morning, Luka.” Nino gave him a nod before following Marinette to the kitchen, where Kagami and Adrien were already, and Luka found himself rolling over to the floor. “I’ll get you some water for that headache.”

“Thanks.” Luka responded weakly as he stood up and felt his body ache from all the laughter from the previous night. “I really need it.”

He stretched his arms and Adrien’s pajama shirt didn’t quite fit him, as he was taller and the shirt exposed his midriff. 

Nino coughed and Luka caught him trying not to look at it. “Your...erm, water.”

Luka took the water bottle from Nino’s hands and their fingers met temporarily, before Nino pulled his hand back immediately. 

“Luka, is there any requests you’d like to make for brunch? I brought over some of your favorite pastries from the bakery, freshly baked, courtesy of Maman and Papa.” Marinette called from that kitchen, “Also, how’s your elbow doing this morning?”   
  
“It’s doing better, mon Chéri.” Luka answered in between sips of water, “I’m fine with anything.”

“Mon Chéri.” Nino snorted and Luka glanced over at Nino sitting at the table, fiddling with the rose. 

“Were you calling me, angel?” Luka winked at him and Nino sank down further in his seat, hiding his face as he pulled his sweater up to his nose. “Did you wake up on the wrong side of bed today?”

“Nino slept over on the couch. We fell asleep watching reruns of old Christmas movies.” Marinette wiped her hands on her apron and Adrien and Kagami peeked at Luka from over her shoulders. “It should be ready in about ten minutes.”

“Would you guys like to decorate our tree?” Adrien chimed in, and Luka turned away from Marinette and Nino to face the huge tree beside the couch. “Kagami and I have hung ours wherever we are with the same ornaments for the past half decade now. It’s our little tradition, and if you guys want, you can help us set everything up.”

“These are the ornaments that we gave you that Christmas you were missing.” Nino came up from behind Luka to reach for the ornaments inside the box under the tree. “ I didn’t think you’d keep them, dude.”

“I’ve kept all the gifts throughout the years.”

“He’s kept them all on a shelf in the spare closet. We go through all the letters when he gets a day off of work from modeling.” Kagami held Adrien loosely by the waist and Luka could see she was struggling to, with him being about five inches taller than she was. 

“I still have Luka’s guitar pick. I always carry it with me wherever I go.” Marinette whipped it out of her pants pocket and Luka wanted to just reach out and hug her and spin her around.

“I still have the shirt that you made for Kitty Section. Granted, it doesn’t fit me anymore, but I still love it very much.” Luka shared a tiny smile with her and a minute passed in silence, before Luka turned his attention back to the tree. “So Nino...would you like to join us for coffee tomorrow?”

“Can’t. I have a gig somewhere out of town and I need to leave first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll be back the day after and stay home for a bit.” Nino answered and Marinette reached out for Nino’s hand.

“You didn’t tell me you had a gig, Ninny.” Marinette held onto Nino’s hand and Luka bit his lip, unsure of where to look or what to do with his hands, so he quickly fished an ornament out of the box and turned to the tree instead.

He fiddled with the small hook on the ornament for a bit, as everyone chatted behind him and he couldn’t help but recall the words Kagami had spoken to him the previous night.

If he kept hesitating, he’d lose them both.

They were going back and forth in hushed voices and it sounded intense. Kagami and Adrien had excused themselves to go make some calls outside and Luka was left with his back turned to them.

But he wasn’t sure where his feelings lay, and he didn’t want to get in the way of whatever it was they had.

As he hung the ornament near the top of the Christmas tree, Nino reached over his shoulder to place another one next to it. “I’ve heard you’re a great guitarist and singer. If you want someday, we can get together and I’ll remix any songs you have. Just...hang out and listen to music.”

“Is that Mari’s request?”

“You know it, dude.” Nino forced a smile and Luka didn’t know why Nino didn’t seem to like him. He understood they both felt something similar- if not the same thing- for the same girl, but he didn’t see why it was an issue.

Or did Nino just not like him? Because one moment, it seemed like he did, and the next, it was the complete opposite.

He was used to people not liking him. He got a lot of remarks he was too quiet, too reserved, too still. He was constantly told he was not interesting enough, not loud enough, not good enough. And the cherry on top, was the constant comments on his appearance and Luka never spoke without his guitar.

He didn’t understand that part, though, because he couldn’t convey his feelings like other people did. It was different for him. Growing up, he didn’t have much interaction from being home-schooled, but he thought he was getting better on those aspects of himself as he grew older and traveled the world with Jagged.

Nino was different, though. Luka wanted Nino to like him, but he wasn’t sure if it was at the cost of changing parts of himself that he liked, but other people didn’t. 

“It’s up to you.” Luka nodded quietly and stepped away from Nino and from the tree. Marinette’s eyes were pleading with him, to interact with Nino, but Luka made his way to the doorway leading to Adrien’s shower. “I’m going to take a quick shower and I’m going to head out to go see my family. I’ll call you guys later.”

“You’re not going to stay for brunch?” Marinette hollered behind him and Luka shook his head, not bothering to turn around.

“I forgot my mom wanted me to come over for breakfast at the boat. I have to get going.” 

"Oh... okay." Marinette's voice was full of sorrow, and it pained Luka dearly, but he needed some air and some space to think.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me on tumblr/twitter: @vipernette


	5. One A.M. Cigarette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya reflects on the past five years and her life that had led her to Chloe. She's interrupted by a phone call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't been able to update. School really kept me on my toes and didn't really allow me time to enjoy myself. This story is my favorite, as I get to explore everyone's relationships, and this chapter doesn't fit any of the prompts. It's a setup for the next prompt, but it focuses on Chloe/Alya's relationship and Nino and Alya's friendship.

* * *

There was hardly anything that surprised Alya anymore, after being with Chloe for four years and seeing every crazy part of Paris and the world.

She had hid her relationship with Chloe, until they couldn’t anymore, and everyone in the news had freaked out over the status of the mayor’s daughter and the rising star news reporter’s relationship, bombarding them with cameras and questions wherever they caught them.

It was tiring at times, but it was no longer surprising.

* * *

Chloe had come into Alya’s life when Alya was a complete mess after her break up with Nino. 

It had been mutual, but that didn’t mean that it hadn’t affected Alya at all. It wrecked her, because she had spent all the years she attended  lycée  with Nino, but it all came to an end during their final days there.

She still ran into him at parties and small get together with friends and the air grew thick with tension because of the resentment one still held for the other. It resulted in both of them leaving early to avoid making their friends feel more uncomfortable than they probably already were.

It didn’t get easier, even after six months passed by, and she went out to bars and took small gigs that reported outside of Paris. Anywhere but Paris, and Chloe had accompanied her once Alya decided to study abroad. Marinette was too busy with college and her internship with the Agreste brand, but she checked in with Alya regularly.

“Are you sure about this, Als?” Marinette had asked her before Alya boarded the plane, “I’m not going to see you for a whole half year.”

“We’ll keep in touch, gal.” Alya wiped away Marinette’s tears before heading inside to meet Chloe, who was awfully quiet the entire ride.

Alya got the chance to know Chloe personally, as they only had each other, and at first, Alya found her unbearable with her constant demands and nitpicking.

But as the months went on, Alya found herself memorizing Chlo’s coffee order, and Chloe had memorized hers, along with her favorite treat from the nearest coffee shop. Alya got used to Chloe’s strong perfume that she used to hate so much when they first moved in together as roommates. 

She also got used to Chloe’s weird habits, like leaving the TV on when she took a nap at an irregular time at night, only to wake up at 3 a.m., and the way Chloe  _ had to  _ hum to cook lunch or dinner, whichever duty she got stuck with that day. 

And Chloe stopped complaining so much when Alya left her night light on, understanding that Alya still had some fear of the dark and stayed up to turn it off for her after she fell fast asleep.

And when Alya least expected it, she woke up one morning, about five months after her break up with Nino, and found herself facing Chloe, who was still asleep and the expression on her face was serene. The sunlight was cascading through the window and it fell on Chloe’s face, illuminating her long lashes and rosy cheeks from the cold air that she couldn’t hide with her blanket.

And it hit Alya suddenly and without warning.

She liked Chloe, as more than a friend. She went out that morning to take a drag from a cigarette on the balcony in their apartment, and she leaned on the railings to regain some of her balance after she had stumbled out onto it on her bare feet.

“She did it. She managed to make me like her, more than like her.” Alya let out a small chuckle and held the cigarette in between her fingertips, “Ah, shit.”

Her first instinct was to call Marinette, but something else kicked in and she knew she had to have a chat with Chloe first, then Nino and then Marinette.

“You’re up and early. Who’s getting the coffee today?” Chloe rubbed her eyes as she tried to adjust to the morning light and Alya coughed, trying not to let Chloe read the expression on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“Hey. Um, we need to talk.” Alya put her cigarette out and Chloe pointed to her mouth.

“Clean your mouth first. You have some drool around the edges. I’ll pick up the coffee and then we’ll talk, sweetheart.” 

Alya nodded as she made her way back inside the apartment and headed to the restroom where she eyed Chloe from the doorway, as Chloe gave her a wink before disappearing back into the bedroom.

* * *

  
  


Alya had clarified that she was still on the edge. She needed more time to herself before she could properly date Chloe. 

Chloe was surprisingly calm about the whole situation and answered, “Oh, I know, love. No one can resist my charms.”

When it came to her confession, however, it was a different story. Chloe was a mess and she spilled her coffee over the coffee table on Alya on accident as she tried to tell Alya how she felt. They were bubbly and giggling with absolute delight and Alya’s stomach was aching with the amount of laughter that had tumbled out of her mouth.

“How do you want to proceed with this information?”

“What do you mean, Chlo?”

“Do you want to give it more time until you talk with Nino, or do you want to dive all in?”

“I…” Alya had paused and swallowed, before continuing, “Well, I want to give Nino a heads up before I do anything, to make sure there’s no hard feelings.”

* * *

They had returned about a month after- well, Chloe could have stayed if she wanted to, but she chose to accompany Alya back on the airplane back to Paris.

Once they had arrived, Chloe offered Alya one last squeeze of the hand before being driven off by Jean, her butler, to go home. 

Alya had something else to do, and with shaky hands, she had dialed a number she hadn’t in a long time.

“Hey.” Her voice cracked as he picked up on the third ring. “I know this is really weird and I escaped Paris so I wouldn’t see you, but is there any way we can see each other for coffee or something? I have to talk with you about something urgent.”

“Sure.”

* * *

“I figured something like this might happen, and I’m glad you found someone.” Nino poured her some tea into her tiny cup and she was grateful for something warm, since the air outside was extremely cold. He headed back into the kitchen to fetch some cookies to share.

“You’re not upset?” 

A pause. 

A clattering of plates in the kitchen.

“Of course not. I’ve been waiting a bit to talk to you, to see if there was still bitterness there. I’ve been thinking of dating this guy, but I wasn’t sure-”

“Nino-”

“I know, Als.” Nino emerged from the kitchen holding a plate of warm cookies and offered her one, “It’s been hard for both of us this past year and shit, I didn’t expect things to turn out the way it did, but I don’t want to be mad at you anymore. I want to be okay with you. I want to be friends with you.”

“I need more time to be friends with you again, but I’m putting my cards on the table. I want to regain that friendship we had, but I’m moving on with Chlo. I’m not opposed to being friends with you, but just give me time to readjust with Chloe before we take those steps.”

“I’m completely okay with that. Marinette’s birthday party is coming up in a month. Are you going?” 

“Well, duh. I wouldn’t miss my bestie’s birthday even if the world was ending.” Alya rolled her eyes playfully and Nino blew her a raspberry, “I have to go. My mom and dad are eager to see me, since they’ve only been relying on sporadic texts in between classes.”

She stood up and brushed the cookie crumbs off of her skirt and extended a hand towards Nino. “Hey. This was lovely. Thank you for the tea.”

“Sorry it wasn’t coffee. Mari has been over here quite a lot when she has a test to study for or projects due, and she finished all my coffee.” 

“It’s perfectly fine. Marinette has an addiction to caffeine. I wasn’t in the mood for it, anyway.” Alya waved him off with a small smile and made her way to the door. “Take care, Nino.”

He had taken her hand and pulled her into a hug, ruffling her hair, “Go get her.”

* * *

There were few things that surprised Alya anymore. 

The impeachment of her girlfriend’s father wasn’t surprising; it was expected.

Her friend, Adrien Agreste, getting engaged to Kagami Tsurugi.

Marinette finally dating someone who wasn’t Adrien.

Nothing surprised her anymore.

At least, that’s what she thought.

She took a long drag on her cigarette, before crushing it in the ashtray and coughing when the cold air hit her lungs.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she considered leaving whoever it was to her voicemail, but it was one a.m. She was wondering who would be crazy enough to call her that early in the morning.

She picked up without looking at who was calling, and Nino’s voice answered her, his voice sounding like he was trying not to cry.

“Nino?” Alya’s eyebrows knitted together in concern, and she gripped her phone tightly to her ear, “Are you okay? Do you need me to come over with Chlo to-”

“I’m so confused, Als.” Nino’s voice cracked and Alya bit her lip, waiting to hear what was eating away at him. “I’m in love with Marinette.”

She thought there was nothing that could surprise her anymore. She thought she’d seen and heard everything and there was nothing that would make her gasp or feel caught off guard.

She was wrong. 

Nino was in love with Marinette?

  
  


* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr/Twitter: @vipernette


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